When I became a parent I was besotted! I read everything I could find on how to help my son thrive. Yet we struggled tremendously with sleeplessness, tantrums, aggression and a variety of life challenges. By the time my second son arrived three years later I was a mess; I continued to search for something to help my family flourish but felt myself sliding more deeply into a feeling of despair. It isn’t stretching the truth to say that Parenting by Connection saved me and our family. My two beautiful boys are now in their tweens/teens, and I’m a single mum and a Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor (since 2017).
The positive changes we experienced really gained traction with one key experience. I had been reading about these tools, and engaging with the online classes, for about a year. I loved the ideas and tried to enact them but found that I hit the wall over and over again, reverting to behaviours that I did not feel good about. I could see that connection was the answer, but I just couldn’t make it work in hard moments. My cup was empty! I arranged for a one to one consultation with a Hand in Hand Instructor. That one hour changed everything. I cried and cried, released lots of tension, and emerged with more patience and capacity than I’d ever had as a parent – this wonderful fuel lasted for weeks. Listening Partnerships quickly became the cornerstone of my system of support.
The Hand in Hand Parenting focus on support for parents and the understanding of how emotions work made a huge difference in my family. Thanks to Listening Partnerships and the resourcing they provided, over time things really changed for us. I went from lots of negative feelings about myself as a parent to being able to compassionately show up for my boys. I went from being permissive to setting warm limits in a strategic way to help my boys with the tensions that drove their off track behaviour. This approach has brought real and radical changes that have allowed our family to shine.
I love helping families learn about these tools and seeing the joy that connection brings to parents and children!
Participants from Belynda’s Starter Class had this to say:
‘This class has had a profound impact on my life and relationships.’
‘There’s always been love in our home, but thanks to Belynda now there is peace too.’
Belynda is passionate about the healing potential of this approach and the opportunity it provides for helping families to grow and flourish. You can contact Belynda at [email protected], visit her blog at http://parentingbyconnectionwithbelyndasmith.blogspot.com/, or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/